What is the Simon Says game and where did it come from?

Simon is one of the most iconic electronic games ever created. Origins: Simon was invented by Ralph Baer (the father of video games) and Howard Morrison in 1974, and released by Milton Bradley in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York. It was named after the traditional children's game 'Simon Says.' How it works: The game has four colored panels (red, blue, green, yellow), each producing a distinct tone. The game plays a sequence by lighting up panels in order. You must repeat the sequence exactly. Each round adds one more step to the sequence. The game continues until you make a mistake. What it trains: Sequence memory — remembering ordered lists of items. Auditory discrimination — distinguishing between different tones. Visual-spatial memory — tracking which positions lit up. Concentration — maintaining focus as sequences grow longer. Modern browser versions: Browser Simon games replicate the original experience with keyboard or mouse controls instead of physical buttons. Some add variations like increasing speed, changing patterns, or multiple difficulty levels. Cognitive benefits: The continuous challenge of remembering longer sequences pushes your working memory capacity. Regular play can improve your digit span (the number of items you can hold in working memory) by 1-2 items over a few weeks of practice.